The present invention relates generally to methods and systems for feeding recording web to business machines, and more particularly to a method and compact system for feeding prefolded recording web to a computer from a plurality of sources of the web.
In modern business practice, record keeping is often provided by programmable digital computers. For example, the computer may be programmed to receive information reflecting daily sales, operate on the sales information along with data stored in the memory of the computer, and generate billing and inventory control information.
Generally, data are supplied to the computer and generated therefrom on continuous prefolded sheets of recording web. Different forms are printed on the prefolded sheets depending on the particular program used in the computer for each job. Forms used with different programs differ from each other in size, color, format and ply. Each time the program is changed, it may be necessary to supply a different type of prefolded recording web to the computer. This requires a large number of different sources of prefolded recording web to be on hand in proximity to the computer so that forms can be quickly changed when there is a change in program. Heretofore, the general practice has been to dispose a large number of different forms on the floor adjacent the computer. The forms are manually shifted to the computer as needed.
In some applications, two different types of forms are simultaneously supplied to the computer. When there is a program change, the relative position of the two forms often has to be reversed, or the location of only one of the forms has to be shifted. At the end of a program run, forms may have to be transported from the computer to a remote line printer. The result is that the floor of the computer room becomes cluttered with piles of different forms, and excessive manual work is required to shift the various forms to different locations as needed.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method and system for loading a business machine with recording web from any of a plurality of sources of the web.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method and system for feeding a business machine with recording web from a plurality of sources of the web, wherein shifting of the sources during program change-over is minimized.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved method and system for loading a business machine with prefolded recording web wherein storage and transportation of the web are simplified.
Another difficulty incurred during office use of a computer is that the piles of prefolded recording web must be carefully aligned to the computer. There must be an interference-free flow path of web to the computer to avoid undesirable angling of the recording web with respect to the platen or other feeding device in the computer, and to avoid ripping the recording web at the serrations between adjacent prefolded sheets of the web.
To prevent interference to the flow of the recording web to the computer, it is necessary to provide an unobstructed flow path between each of the sources of recording web and the computer. Heretofore, guides attached to the computer, as exemplified in U.S. Pat. No. 2,018,052, have been used to maintain the recording web spaced away from the body of the computer and properly aligned during in-feed to the computer from sources of recording web stored on a rack. While generally somewhat satisfactory, the guides do not prevent interference to flow caused by the stacks of recording web or by the rack itself. As another disadvantage, the guides for the recording web protrude from the computer, requiring additional floor space and interfering with traffic flow at the computer.
For many programmed operations, multiple ply prefolded recording web is supplied to the computer by separating the individual plies and feeding them into separate input portions of the computer. Heretofore, ply separation of multiple ply recording web has required relatively complex apparatus, and the separated plies are individually fed to the computer in an additional operation. Excessive floor space is required for the ply separation apparatus, and the requirement of separately feeding the individual plies to the computer reduces operating efficiency.
Accordingly, another object of the present invention is to provide a means for supplying prefolded recording web to a business machine along unobstructed flow paths while utilizing a minimum amount of floor space.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a means for separating the individual plies of multiple ply web while feeding the web to a business machine.